used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
adjoiningverbUS /əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
anew
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
coppicenoun
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
creakedverbUS /kriːkt/
past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
detectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
having the place or position changed
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
featheredadjectiveUS /ˈfeðərd/
adorned with feathers or plumes
From this reading Was the owl a feathered one or a human mimic?
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
GRIMSDYKE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
hingesnounUS /ˈhɪndʒɪz/
plural of “hinge” — a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
hootedverbUS /ˈhuːtɪd/
past form of “hoot” — to utter a loud clamorous shout
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Was the owl a feathered one or a human mimic?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a well-known signal.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
mimicnounUS /ˈmɪmɪk/
someone who mimics (especially an actor or actress)
From this reading Was the owl a feathered one or a human mimic?
a particular point in time
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
not any; not one
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Was the owl a feathered one or a human mimic?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Was the owl a feathered one or a human mimic?
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
owlnounUS /aʊl/
nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
rustyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌsti/
covered with or consisting of rust
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
except for; apart from
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
shutternounUS /ˈʃʌtər/
a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading It was a well-known signal.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
swayedverbUS /sweɪd/
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading An owl hooted, and the detective was on the alert in a moment.
well-knownadjectiveUS /ˈwelˈnoʊn/
widely or fully known
From this reading It was a well-known signal.
at the time that
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading GRIMSDYKE Not a sound disturbed the silence of the deserted place, save when the slight breeze sighed through the trees of the adjoining coppice, and swayed some invisible shutter which creaked upon its rusty hinges.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading No other sound followed, until the breeze came again, whispered in the coppice, and shook the shutter.
